Football goalpost attachment

ABSTRACT

An attachment for football goalpost or the like in the form of panels which are attached to the uprights and sometimes to the crossbar of existing football goalpost to provide background or foreground areas, against which the football is more readily visible, to more readily determine whether the football passes inside or outside the goalpost uprights or over or beneath the crossbar.

United States Patent Inventor Richard P.\lcl\'enna 2059.365 9/l936 Kingnmw 273/26(A) 10B Terrace Avet. Marietta, Ohlo 45750 Primary EXaminer AmOn O. Oechsle Assistant Examiner-Theatrice Brown AttorneyMahoney, Miller & Stebens l 1 99 l 2 m e M M 8M1 0. d t d. w a AFD- N MENT ABSTRACT: An attachment for football in the form of panels which are attached sometimes to the crossbar of existing foo ed .knm ha t to an r-ls O D. tull S a 030 h m a II. 008

R t n d vide background or foreground areas, against which the foote ere ces e ball is more readily visible, to more rea UNITED STATES PATENTS 5/1900 Manley.l.....l.........l.......

the football passes inside or outside the over or beneath the crossbar.

PATENTED JUN22|97| SHEET 1 BF 2 INVISN'IUR RICHARD P. MCKENNA BY MAHONEY, MILLER a RAMBO ATTORNEYS ZI'I. 1 I llllilll i '1 i i 1 BY MgfviONEY, MILLER a RAMBO AT ORNE S PATENIED JUN22 :97:

SHEU 2 OF 2 FOOTBALL GOALPOST ATTACHMENT BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Due to the nature of existing football goalposts, in that they are usually made of relatively small diameter pipe, it is difficult to determine, especially for the spectators, if the attempt for a goal is good or not because the narrow crossbar and uprights provide so little background or foreground area for the ball as it passes beyond them.

The present invention provides an attachment for existing football goalposts in the form of panels which are always provided on the uprights and which, in most instances, are also provided on the horizontal crossbar. These panels are removably attached to the goalpost and are of such a nature that high winds will have substantially no effect thereon since they are made of foraminous material. Also, the panels will be in planes extending in a rearward direction relative to the goalpost, or general direction of normal passage of the ball, and will be sufficiently flexible that they will not interfere with the normal passage of the ball even if it does contact therewith. Therefore, any goal which would be good if the panels were not present would also be good with the panels present and it could be more readily determined by spectators whether or not it was good.

In the accompanying drawings, l have illustrated a preferred form of my invention and in these drawings:

FIG. 1 is an isometric view of a football goalpost having my attachment applied to the uprights and the crossbar thereof.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged vertical sectional view taken along line 2-2 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a top plan view taken along line 3-3 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a horizontal sectional view taken along line 4-4 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 5 is an elevational view taken along line 55 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 6 is an enlarged horizontal sectional view taken along line6-6ofFlG.5.

My invention may be applied to any usual football goalpost now in use. In the example illustrated in FIG. 1, the goalpost is of the type provided with a single support 10 having a crossbar 11 and uprights l2 and 13. In this example, the structure is made from metal piping but my invention is not limited to this specific goalpost structure.

As previously indicated, my invention is in the form of panels of substantial area which are always applied to the uprights l2 and 13 but which, in some instances, will not be applied to the crossbar II. For example, if the seats in the stadium or stands are not higher than the crossbar, the crossbar panels might not be used.

Each of the panels 15 is preferably formed of a suitable weather-resistant foraminous material preferably a woven resin cloth such as vinyl-coated nylon woven cloth. Such material is light and weather resistant and also provides many openings through which wind may pass so that the attached panels will not offer much wind resistance. It is preferred that each of the panels be of some color which will provide contrasting background or foreground area to the football as it passes the panel. Also, if desired, the panels may be of luminescent or fluorescent material. Each panel is preferably applied in a suitable manner that it can be made taut and can be readily removed and replaced when desired. Each panel will be in a plane extending in the longitudinal direction of the playing field or general direction of normal passage of the ball as indicated or in a plane at right angle to the plane of the uprights and crossbar of the goalpost.

In the example illustrated, the panels are attached between pairs of rearwardly extending arms 16 which preferably are in the forms of pipes welded to the crossbar I1 and the uprights l2 and 13. Each panel is drawn tightly between at least two of these arms 16. If the panels 15 are used on the crossbar 11, each upright end panel I5 and a horizontal panel 15 may be formed as a single piece of material and extend around the comer. The upper end of that panel may be anchored, as shown in FIG. 2, to the upper arm or pipe 16 by means of a rod l7 sewn in a loop at the one or upper end thereof. The pipe 16 will be provided with a vertical slit 18 to permit slipping of the rod 17 and the panel inwardly relative to the pipe. The rod 17 will be of greater diameter than the width of the slot so it will not pull downwardly through the slot. A'cap 14 is provided on each pipe 16 to keep the rod 17 in place axially within the pipe. The panel will pass downwardly and inwardly through slots 19 provided in the corner pipe 16 and then inwardly around another loose rod 17 which will be positioned in the corner support pipe arm 16. The cloth will continue inwardly through the slot 19 in the inner pipe support 16. The cloth may be initially drawn tight from the upper anchored end, around the corner rod 17 and inwardly and outwardly around the rod 17 in the inner pipe 16 to overlap and finally be clamped in overlapped position between clamping bars 20 located outwardly of the inner pipe 16 and held in place by clamping bolts 21. Thus, the panel may be drawn taut and held in taut condition.

For lateral positioning each panel is preferably provided with pairs of transverse cloth reinforcing strips 22 which are sewn at opposite faces and at longitudinally spaced intervals and which have extensions anchored to pipe clamps 23 that are clamped around the associated main uprights l2 and crossbar 11 to securely hold each panel in its desired position. It will be noted that the anchoring of the ends of the strips 22 to the clamps 23 is accomplished by passing the clamp band through buttonhole-type slits 24 in the strips. If the panel is only secured to the uprights the corner pipe arm l6,will have the final clamping bars 20 located adjacent thereto.

It will-be apparent that with this arrangement each panel 15 will be positioned in rearwardly extending relationship to the associated upright or crossbar which is the general direction of normal passage of the ball. Each panel will provide an extensive background or foreground area which will make the football more readily visible as it passes through or outside the goalpost. Each panel will be of lightweight construction, weather resistant and wind resistant. Also, each panel will be sufficiently flexible so that if the ball strikes it as it passes over the crossbar II and between the uprights 12, the panel will flex sufficiently to permit continued passage of the ball. Thus, although the panels will make passage of the ball through or outside the goalpost more readily discernible, they will not interfere with such passage. The panels may be easily removed from the goalpost when desired and may be easily replaced.

lclaim:

1. A goalpost for use in the game of football or the like comprising a U-shaped upstanding frame portion through which the ball is adapted to pass in making a goal which comprises connected arms including a horizontal crossbar with laterally spaced uprights extending vertically up from the axis of said crossbar, said crossbar and uprights being disposed in a common plane, a panel attached to each of said uprights and extending rearwardly in a normally fixed plane common with the axis thereof in the general direction of normal passage of the ball in making a goal with the plane of the panel being substantially normal to the common plane of the uprights and cross bar, each of said panels being of substantial area to provide a background or foreground are against which the ball is more readily visible to more readily determine whether the football passes within or outwardly of said U-shaped upstanding frame portion, and upstanding support means engaging the ground and attached to said U-shaped upstanding frame portion to support it at a selected level.

2. A goalpost according to claim 1 in which each panel is made of a flexible foraminous material.

3. A goalpost according to claim 2 in which the material is a woven cloth.

4. A goalpost according to claim 3 in which the cloth is supported by pairs of supports extending rearwardly from the respective arm of the U-shaped frame portion at right angles thereto and spaced along the axis thereof and between which the cloth is tautly drawn, and means for removably securing the cloth to said supports.

5. A goalpost according to claim 4 in which one end of the cloth is removably anchored at one support and extends to another support where it is drawn taut, and clamping means at said last'named support for holding it in taut condition.

6. A goalpost according to claim 5 including reinforcing strips secured to said cloth extending transversely from one side of each edge of the cloth to the other substantially parallel to the cloth ends, each of said strips having one end extending into cooperation with the associated goalpost arm, and means for removably attaching said strip end to the goalpost arm.

7. A goalpost according to claim I in which said crossbar has one of said panels attached thereto and extending rearwardly normally in a fixed plane common with the axis thereof in the general direction of normal passage of the ball in making a goalwith the plane of the panel being substantially normal to the common plane of said U-shaped upstanding frame portion.

8. A goalpost according to claim 7 in which each of said panels is formed of woven cloth, said uprights and crossbars being connected at respective corners and the uprights having upper free ends, the cloth of each panel being connected by supports extending rcarwardly from the uprights and crossbars, the cloth having its one end removably connected to a support at the upper end of the upright and its other end removably connected to a support intermediate the length of the crossbar and passing through a slot in a support at the respective corner. 

1. A goalpost for use in the game of football or the like comprising a U-shaped upstanding frame portion through which the ball is adapted to pass in making a goal which comprises connected arms including a horizontal crossbar with laterally spaced uprights extending vertically up from the axis of said crossbar, said crossbar and uprights being disposed in a common plane, a panel attached to each of said uprights and extending rearwardly in a normally fixed plane common with the aXis thereof in the general direction of normal passage of the ball in making a goal with the plane of the panel being substantially normal to the common plane of the uprights and crossbar, each of said panels being of substantial area to provide a background or foreground are against which the ball is more readily visible to more readily determine whether the football passes within or outwardly of said U-shaped upstanding frame portion, and upstanding support means engaging the ground and attached to said U-shaped upstanding frame portion to support it at a selected level.
 2. A goalpost according to claim 1 in which each panel is made of a flexible foraminous material.
 3. A goalpost according to claim 2 in which the material is a woven cloth.
 4. A goalpost according to claim 3 in which the cloth is supported by pairs of supports extending rearwardly from the respective arm of the U-shaped frame portion at right angles thereto and spaced along the axis thereof and between which the cloth is tautly drawn, and means for removably securing the cloth to said supports.
 5. A goalpost according to claim 4 in which one end of the cloth is removably anchored at one support and extends to another support where it is drawn taut, and clamping means at said last-named support for holding it in taut condition.
 6. A goalpost according to claim 5 including reinforcing strips secured to said cloth extending transversely from one side of each edge of the cloth to the other substantially parallel to the cloth ends, each of said strips having one end extending into cooperation with the associated goalpost arm, and means for removably attaching said strip end to the goalpost arm.
 7. A goalpost according to claim 1 in which said crossbar has one of said panels attached thereto and extending rearwardly normally in a fixed plane common with the axis thereof in the general direction of normal passage of the ball in making a goal with the plane of the panel being substantially normal to the common plane of said U-shaped upstanding frame portion.
 8. A goalpost according to claim 7 in which each of said panels is formed of woven cloth, said uprights and crossbars being connected at respective corners and the uprights having upper free ends, the cloth of each panel being connected by supports extending rearwardly from the uprights and crossbars, the cloth having its one end removably connected to a support at the upper end of the upright and its other end removably connected to a support intermediate the length of the crossbar and passing through a slot in a support at the respective corner. 